This stamp is in front of Foster Garden, a community garden, on the east side of South Foster Avenue, south of Marcus. The date is clear enough; the name is illegible. It seems to end with -PA. The letter before that might be I, or might be part of something worn away.

Whenever the county doesn’t know what to do with a property that ends up in the Land Bank due to tax foreclosure, it says “um… tear the house down and build a community garden!” As a result there are a truly ridiculous number of community gardens on the east side, especially in the Urbandale neighborhood, and places where the houses are sparse.

For a couple of years in the 2000s, I want to say ’07-’08, I had a community garden plot in the Foster Garden. I would ride my bike there to tend tomatoes, herbs, and lettuce. It was exciting at first, and I even made a little sign declaring it the “[Lastname] Farm,” but eventually I got tired of having to scoop diminishing water from the provided rain barrels. I decided it was easier to stay home and tend my own garden, even though I can’t grow vegetables in it. (My yard is shaded in almost every part by trees.)